Galasso

Ettore and his daughter Francesca are strolling amidst the golden leaves in the vineyards on a super sunny mid-November day.

Ettore, with his calm and shy voice, invites us to follow him to the top of the building that will soon be the new winery and office building.

Wow! From this vantage point, the view of the valley between the Adriatic sea and the highest mountains of the Apennines is simply breath-taking. Vineyards are everywhere and fit perfectly into the natural landscape. Here, even during hot summer days, the breeze is constant and creates the thermal range which helps the acidity and the red fruits in the wine.

Mr Galasso explains that the family history is intertwined with that of Abruzzo's viticultural history. His grandfather first and then his father where making wine and olive oil, always with one mission, to make Montepulciano and promote its region’s name abroad.

Montepulciano is the 2nd most planted red grape in Italy (after Sangiovese) mainly due to its inky, black-fruit driven, chocolatey and spicy notes that go perfectly with food. Today we will be tasting two different wines, Cave Canem and Fonte Vetica. We discover how Montepulciano can present enough soft fruit to be drinkable when young, yet tannic enough to keep it trim and energetic. While it pairs naturally with any dish that has tomato sauce, it's as versatile as Barbera or good Beaujolais.

Besides the wine, Ettore shares a few anecdotes about Abruzzo and how it is so rich in natural treasures and medieval towns, like Loreto Aprutino where the winery is located. Here, Gran Sasso, the most important mountain in southern Italy is just a few steps away. While we talk, we can see its peak which is already white, covered in snow. Ettore, so proud of his home land, can’t stop suggesting places to visit, hiking to do, small farmers to meet to taste their delicious local produce, such as local goat cheese, salumi and of course, a butcher to visit to get arrosticini, typically made from castrated sheep's meat (mutton), or lamb, cut in chunks and pierced by a skewer. They are cooked on a brasier with a typically elongated shape and of course accompanied by an abundant red glass of Montepulciano.

Galasso defines its wine as generous, austere and fruity, like their Fonte Vetica, a Montepulciano whose name celebrates a natural perennial fountain on the slopes of the Gran Sasso mountain that provides the perfect shelter for animals and people that need a rest while climbing. Vetica comes from Latin and it means ancient and with an important tradition, very much like the grape varietal.